Paradoxic Wisdom
"We can't BOTH be right, can we?"
In “What Will They Think of Us?,” M.H. Greenblatt noted how a bunch of well-known aphorisms contradicted one another. Of course that says a lot about life: even the most widely received wisdom isn't true in every circumstance. In fact, some of the best writing advice I ever got was “Take two things that you know to be true but are in conflict with each other, and build a story around them.”
Here are most of the pairings, edited a bit as I think one or two have passed out of common use:
Haste makes waste BUT he who hesitates is lost
Above all, to thine own self be true BUT when in Rome, do as the Romans do
It is never too late to learn BUT you can’t teach an old dog new tricks
Good things come in small packages BUT the bigger, the better
There is no point in beating a dead horse BUT if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again
Two is company, three is a crowd BUT the more, the merrier
A job worth doing is worth doing well BUT half a loaf is better than none
Nothing ventured, nothing gained BUT better safe than sorry
Never judge a book by its cover BUT clothes make the man
Out of sight, out of mind BUT absence makes the heart grow fonder
Many hands make light work BUT too many cooks spoil the broth
Never send a boy to do a man’s job BUT a child shall lead them
Actions speak louder than words BUT the pen is mightier than the sword
Never change horses in midstream BUT variety is the spice of life
Silence is golden BUT the squeaky wheel gets the grease
Practice makes perfect BUT all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
A penny saved is a penny earned BUT the love of money is the root of all evil
And here are the best among the rest that I’ve gathered. I’ve excluded some entries that don’t really seem contradictory to me. #18 is a little close, but I think it’s implied that a modest amount of power makes most people happier than powerlessness.
Knowledge is power BUT ignorance is bliss
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts BUT don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
The only thing constant is change BUT the more things change, the more they stay the same
Two heads are better than one BUT if you want something done right, do it yourself.
Great minds think alike BUT fools seldom differ
Birds of a feather flock together BUT opposites attract
What will be, will be BUT life is what you make it
Cross your bridges when you come to them BUT forewarned is forearmed
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander BUT one man's meat is another man’s poison
Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise BUT eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die
Laugh and the world laughs with you; weep and you weep alone BUT misery loves company
The early bird gets the worm BUT all good things come to him who waits
Attack is the best form of defense BUT he who lives by the sword dies by the sword
Familiarity breeds contempt BUT home is where the heart is
Slow and steady wins the race BUT time waits for no one
Don’t fly too close to the sun BUT shoot for the moon; even if you miss, you’ll be among the stars
Tomorrow: A record-setting word, disappearing from the record.